We turn our attention to destinations within the great United States of ours rather infrequently. In half a dozen years since our repatriation from England there have been only a couple of pleasure/sightseeing-centric trips that we undertook without crossing international borders.
There are several excuses I can cite for prioritizing mainly European destinations on our travels, but I have to admit that our limited pursuit of American scenery and history leaves a significant gap on our traveling resume. It’s a gap that we tried to close a bit with a short-week vacation in Charleston, SC, and Savannah, GA.
Both towns are pleasant, pretty, friendly, full of attractive architecture, eminently walkable, and a joy to explore. They are also rather different. Charleston is more quaint, Savannah is more vibrant. Charleston wows with its more intimate streets, Savannah with its green squares. Charleston’s waterfront can feel like a quiet oasis, Savannah’s bustling Riverwalk is a veritable hotspot. Savannah’s planned grid topography is a defining feature. Charleston offers narrow back alleys that may not hold any attractions of renown but are simply fun to traverse.
We spent two full days in each town and stopped by to explore a historic plantation on the way between the two. We visited a good number of grand mansions, availed ourselves to horse-drawn carriage rides and river cruises, browsed markets and art galleries, and walked as much as the certain five-year-old in our party could manage. And, of course, had exceptional meals at various establishments, as those of you who follow us on Facebook already know.
An excellent trip, plenty of good memories and impressions. Southern hospitality is marvelous. We were repeatedly startled by strangers greeting us in the streets as they walked by; this custom seemed pretty foreign to us, northerners of eastern-European extraction, but I have to say it makes the surroundings appear extra friendlier when random people smile and say hello.
Photographic essays will be forthcoming as usual.
